In Another Life
by AnnabelleLily3
Summary: Modern Kiliel AU. Thousands of years have passed in the Middle-Earth and young Kili Durin meets a woman of his dreams, a woman he feels he has known his entire life. Will the power of love still win over evil? Rated M for strong language, violence, drug and alcohol abuse.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The first days of heavy autumn were finally upon them. Not that he adored rain and clouds and shitty weather altogether, but sunshine and warmth kinda didn't go well with his idea of October.

Tightening the grip of his signature leather jacket around his body, he strode away from his Harley and up into his house. Really, it was not his house, not his alone after all. He shared it with his older brother, a college senior, and their two younger cousins. Being a prominent member of an influential family, more importantly, of the Sons of Durin, had its perks everywhere, college being no exception to the rule.

As young Kili Durin ascended the stairs to the first floor of their makeshift home, he eyed his brother lying half-dead on the sofa in the huge living-room. A highly unusual sight, one might think, but one would truly be surprised if one found Fili Durin awake and fully functioning on a Sunday morning. Or Saturday morning. Or any other morning following a heavy-drinking party that usually led to a drug- induced coma.

Yeah, Fili was alright. He'd get his college senior arse up in a few hours and straighten up.

The crazy lumberjack of their cousin, Gimli, was another kind of a story. Being only a freshman, the two of them were supposed to watch over him. But the task itself was a waste, for the crazy-head would listen to no one. There he lied, in his bed, sprawled between two unknown girls in a state of undress and indecency Kili never wished to see. Damn, he'd have to drink one up to clear his mind of the picture. Well fuck, probably a whole bloody bottle wouldn't even be enough to purge his brain of the scarring images.

Only poor Ori was snoring loudly in his room, his doors locked for obvious reasons. He was a kind soul, a nerd, some would call him (though not in front of them). He probably just had a few beers and went straight to bed. After all, the little fucker was a nerd and Sundays were meant for studying. Kili smiled with no small amount of love for the kindest one of them in his heart.

His bedroom was unoccupied , a fact he was grateful for, because more than once someone uninvited claimed it when he was not at home. Fili's parties were known to be wild, after all. And why would one of his friends do a girl in the middle of a hallway if there was a free, empty bed nearby? He shuddered with the thought. Disgusting.

His brother's room was occupied by an equally drunk chick with a pillow over her face, a drunk chick he had probably never seen before nor he ever will again, knowing Fili.

But the door on the end of the hall was opened, a room that was usually empty. There he found Legolas Greenleaf, his brother's friend and an archery expert, actually an Olympic champion . What the guy truly deserved a gold medal for was excessive pot-smoking. He used to hate the guy, but somehow grew attached against his own will. His long blond hair was a mess, he could see something akin to a crown of twigs and leaves on top of his head... They'd probably crowned him the Prince of Mirkwood or something equally moronic when he appeared with no small amount of weed in the middle of the night. Otherwise, he was wrapped in a blanket so tightly, one would assume he had undergone a mummification treatment.

"What the fuck happened here?" Laughing silently to himself, he retreated to the living-room and turned the music off, navigating in between the piles of half eaten take-out and empty bottles and glasses.

Sudden silence shook his brother awake and he jumped onto his feet only to fall back onto his arse again. He didn't acknowledge his brother's presence for the still obvious presence of alcohol and probably a fair amount of hallucinogenic substances in his blood. He just slumped on his side and soon enough, soft snores reached Kili's ears.

"Son of a bitch..." Kili laughed.

Honestly, when arriving, he could hear the heavy metal banging from the other side of the street. The only reason their neighbours didn't call the cops on them was probably the woven insignia they wore on their jackets. A sign that marked the two Durins, Ori and Gimli, as well as many others, a part of a family.

The Sons of Durin.

Once a notorious MC, the name still rose whispers amongst most and fear amongst many. Even after their uncle, Thorin "Oakenshield" Durin, reclaimed it from his arch-enemy, Smaug Drakarys, and made their business entirely legal, cutting loose on the drug and weapon dealing. Some even say Smaug used to smuggle young girls, selling them across the border. Kili honestly believed all that was said about Smaug and feared his real dealings were even worse.

Nowadays, Sons of Durin were a family running one of the most prosperous business empires in the country. Erebor Inc. closely specialized in mining precious metals, iron and gems. Also, various subdivisions specialized in crafting of that what was mined.

Fili and Kili also participated, even from their young days. Fili was making a name in MetalWorks, enjoying nothing more than a feeling of fresh iron bending to the command of his hands. Word was, no one in those parts of the Middle-Earth could even dream of producing iron-forged swords and daggers his brother crafted without a blink of an eye. A natural born, that one was. He alone could counter nearly entire profit of MetalWorks only by his works for private collectors.

Kili, on the other hand, was more interested in gems, and even in young age he showed interest in art and design. Thus a natural way for him was to sharpen his talents in the CraftingDept. The younger brother has shown envious talent in handling gems and turning them into incredibly beautiful pieces of jewellery. But also, he enjoyed working for his crazy uncle Bofur in one of his garages that handled their bikes. Not a lot of things in life could bring him as much happiness and peace as bringing a Harley to life again, after it's been mended and repaired.

They were bikers. There was something in their blood that didn't let them go away. And they mostly didn't want to.

They weren't that kind of redneck bikers from TV shows, knee deep in smuggling guns and drugs, but they all learned at young age how to protect their own. And still, from time to time, they would be called to arms and defend their family against others.

The younger generation would usually take a gap year after high school and then join college. Even though Kili was 22, he was a junior. His grades were well enough, and his studies, as well as those of the rest, perfectly mirrored his interests in life. Art and engineering, an unusual combination if there ever was one, but still fitting him perfectly. Fili, besides his usual studies, took additional management courses, for he was expected to exceed Thorin on the throne, as they joked in between themselves. Gimli, that crazy kid, alone didn't know what exactly he was studying, and Ori, the smartest of them, just became a sophomore in Theoretical Physics. His mad brain pulled him into the pits of heavy science, but his heart warmed up to books and old scribes.

But they still looked like true Sons of Durin. Even now, on the ride back from home, Kili wore his usual attire. Black jeans, granite T-shirt that clinged onto his muscles for dear life, black button-up over it and naturally, the heavy leather jacket with "Sons of Durin" written on its back, above the two crossed battle axes.

They looked dangerous. Especially Kili at that moment, with his shoulder-length dark curls tied into a bun on the back of his head, a few wild strands escaping their bonds and falling over his eyes. His unshaven face added even more to the look. He was not overly tall, but still taller than his brother and cousins. Nowhere near that pot-head Legolas though. Bus he was strong and muscular.

Their looks sent a message. _Don't mess with us_. But obviously that was exactly what all the ladies wanted to do. They were popular. His brother was a perfect example of it, bringing a new girl to his bed every night. Sometimes even more than one.

Kili did his share of sleeping around in his earlier years of college-life, finding out very soon that sort of life would never truly satisfy him. So he spent most of his nights alone, an occasional girl here and there, but nowhere near his brother or Gimli.

Now, looking at his brother's unconscious figure drooling on the sofa, he quickly decided he could not possibly stand the stench of alcohol, sweat and sex for a minute longer. As he never actually dropped his stuff, he was at the door quickly.

But someone was there already. She was just preparing to knock, somewhat unwillingly by the looks of it and her deep, rich green eyes mesmerized him and left him frozen in spot.

She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He was frozen, completely speechless, and god knows he always had something to say, not to the delight of those close to him.

When he finally managed to tear his gaze off her hypnotizing eyes, and that beautiful red hair, he realized she had asked him something.

"I'm sorry?"

She seemed annoyed. "Legolas. Legolas Greenleaf. I was told he should be here."

_Son of a bitch._ Legolas Greenleaf. Of course, it would be to good to be true. Such a beauty without a boyfriend? And it had to be that bloody baked "elf" lying unconscious in his house.

"Yes. He's here. But I'm afraid he hasn't... umm... came to his senses yet."

To his utter amazement, she managed a shy smile. "I thought so."

She was maybe two or three inches taller than him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. She was so beautiful, he felt like an idiot not being able to form a single sentence.

"Umm... I haven't introduced myself, I'm sorry. I'm Tauriel."

He accepted her hand, the skin exposed by his fingerless gloves immediately burning under her touch.

"Kili. At your service." He grinned like an idiot, astonished to see a faint blush forming on her cheeks. "I haven't seen you around before."

It was not a question because he was absolutely sure he could not have erased her image from his brain if he ever had.

"Umm... I don't think so. I've heard of you, though. I'm taking classes with your cousin, Ori."

"Oh... No wonder I haven't seen you then. It's on the complete opposite side of the campus."

"Yes." She smiled and blushed. His probing gaze made her nervous. She knew him by reputation. Kili Durin , the younger and a bit less wild brother of Fili, the most popular guy on college. Every girl she knew wanted to be with them, regardless of their somewhat shorter height. She could totally understand them now, because up close, that "bad-boy" look on him, combined with the deepest dark brown eyes that seemed to pierce her soul, left her almost breathless.

"Um... I would very much like to invite you in, but... The place is a wreck." He smiled apologetically.

She smiled. "Quite a party you were having here?"

He chuckled. "Hah, no. No. I've just arrived. Couldn't bear the mess they left so I decided to head out for a coffee."

Her eyes slightly widened. "Oh? Alright. I guess I'll.. umm... see you around." She finished awkwardly and turned to leave.

"Unless..." Kili added immediately. "Unless you would like to join me?"

She looked him in the eyes, confused. They stood in silence for a couple of moments. Well, it was a rather relative silence considering Kili's own voice in his head that was pleading the gods of all religions and ages for her to agree.

Then she smiled and nodded. "I'd like to, if that's not a problem."

Kili grinned widely. "Why the hell would it be a problem to have such a beautiful woman in my company? I may look a bit crazy, but I assure you, I'm not _that_ nuts."

She chuckled and he tried to ignore the warmth spreading through his own body caused by the intense flush of her cheeks. She liked him. Of course she liked him, every damn girl ever liked him. But she was so... so different. She was something else.

They headed to one of his favourite college cafe's, a dimly lit but surprisingly refreshing place with great music.

Suddenly the rain, the clouds and all the shitty weather seemed utterly beautiful.

_Dammit. _He thought to himself, smiling at her beautiful features for no special reason. _That Greenleaf junkie's gonna kill me._

* * *

_AN: So, here it is, as promised! My Modern Kiliel AU! I'm totally in LOVE with awkward/shy Tauriel! It's such a challenge to write! And yup, the main reason I'm doing this, apart from the obvious depths of denial about Durins' deaths, is that I've started watching Sons of Anarchy, and jfc I haven't been able to get this AU outta my head ever since!_

_If you've read my other story, you noticed how my writing style is miles away! I wanted to challenge myself with something new and different, cause I tend to drown in more archaic waters concerning my writing... Anyway, I hope you like it!  
And it's still Middle-Earth. Thousands of years later, but still Middle-Earth! _

_I'll update soon cause I'm kinda navigating in between three stories right now!_

_So please, read and REVIEW! Your thoughts are appreciated!_

_Cheers!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

How was it even possible for someone to feel so uncomfortable and so... Comfortable, at the same time? It didn't make sense, not even in her own head. She's always been a bit awkward, not exactly shy, but more of an introvert kind of person. She didn't have many friends and enjoyed most the company and comfort of books. She didn't go to those wild college parties, especially not those at Durins' her brother attended and organized so often.

But now, sitting in a cafe near him, she wanted to jump out of her skin. Her senses and her mind urged her to run the hell away and lock herself in her room forever. But his gaze kept her in place, making her blood warmer by the minute.

His company was so enjoyable. He was nothing like she imagined. They've been sitting there for less than ten minutes and already he made her blush on more than one occasion. Really, there was something unimaginably hot in a biker guy taking out your chair for you. Or taking out his wallet and paying for both of your drinks, shushing your complaints with a wave of a hand.

"Oh, please. It's alright. It's my fault, or should I rather say-my brother's fault, that you have to wait on Legolas..." That was actually the first time since they came that Leggy came onto his mind.

"Umm... So, you're his... girlfriend?" He tried his best to keep up his grin. Only his brother's expert eyes would notice the slight tightening of his jaw, showing the obvious discomfort with the idea.

"Oh... Oh, no. I'm his sister!" She blushed even more and smiled widely at his reaction.

He was shocked. Knowing Legolas for years and not knowing of him having a sister at all, yet alone the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, was a reason enough to cut off his blasted hair the next time the Olympian got high in his house.

"I had no idea..." Was all he managed.

"Well, I'm not his real sister. His father and mine were best friends and he adopted me after my parents died." She explained.

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Really, it was years ago, I was just a little girl." She reassured him with a smile. A smile and a response practiced to perfection. It took her years, decades of therapy to manage that particular smile... And even now, when his compassionate deep eyes were warming her blood and flushing her cheeks, she barely managed not to close her eyes and grip the table until the flashes passed...

"Well, I know the feeling. I've never met my dad. He died while Ma was still carrying me."

His father joined the Sons of Durin when he married his Ma. He was killed in the great "battle" between them and "Morgul Blades", a notorious MC Ran by Smaug at the time. His grandfather, Thrain, and his uncle, Frerin, died on the same day alongside many more. Thorin himself barely got out of there alive and his Ma would always say that was the day he swore before the entire family that he would get back what was theirs and lead them onto the rightful path.

Years before, Smaug and his spawns attacked their headquarters in Erebor, right beneath the Lonely Mountain where their gold-mines were located. His spawn, Azog, killed his great-grandfather, an old man of nearly a hundread years, and impaled his head onto a pike. Thorin was only 6 at the time, their mother still a baby.

When Kili was a small boy and Fili not far ahead, their uncle led their family into a fight that effectively destroyed the "Morgul Blades" and killed Smaug. Azog, however, escaped. But he would not dare to venture anywhere near Erebor ever again.

Their story was common knowledge. Mostly because local police in charge of Erebor and Dale, led by the one and only Gandalf Grey, aided them as much as they could. Gandalf was an old friend of the family and they all loved him as a grandfather of sorts. The old man was full of knowledge and something Kili could only describe as ancient wisdom, however weird that sounded.

But he would not share the story with her on their first date.

_What the fuck_?

What first date?

They met twenty bloody minutes ago! He had to get his thoughts in the line.

"Wow... I'm sorry for that." She replied. Their first conversation was getting really awkward, but at the same time it helped her to relax a bit. She was really starting to think she was crazy. Well, she probably was. But there was something in those deep eyes of his, a sense of a deeper understanding that lured her in and made her feel safe and secure.

Yup, she was crazy. She met him not even an hour ago. Crazy as they come.

He smiled. "So... You're studying physics?" The corner of his lips tugged upwards, giving her some sort of a part smile that literally melted her.

"Oh... yes. And... um... I'm taking literature classes as well."

He should probably be more impressed with her taking two courses, but doing the same put them on sort of a same level.

"Two courses." He nodded, smiling. "Same here. Engineering and arts."

Her eyebrows raised. "Engineering and arts? That's really not something that usually goes together..."

He laughed. "Yeah... I know, been getting that a lot. But you're really not in a position to question my choices, Miss physics and literature!"

She smiled. "Yes, well... I don't know."

Talking to her was so easy. He had a feeling they'd know each other for some time longer than less than an hour.

"So, tell me, Tauriel." He leaned into the table conspiringly, what made her lean over too. "How the hell haven't I met you before?"

She smiled widely and blushed. Again.

"Your brother's been spending an awful lot of time in my house and I haven't had the slightest that he had a sister."

"Well, he is a bit over-protective. A big brother syndrome probably." She started getting uncomfortable again. Really, this was the part the hot biker guy would probably think "the worst" of her. Lame, no fun at all, boring as hell.

"I'm not really a girl for parties, you know..." Ah, what the hell, she might as well stop pretending and say it all now. "I'm more of a peace and quiet kind of a girl. Spend most of my time reading books and practicing my archery skills. No real fun going on around me."

To her amazement, he actually smiled and nodded. "I can see why, Legolas being your brother and all... the guy drinks and smokes for the two of you, anyway."

She laughed. "Could the same be said about you?" She nodded towards his freshly lit cigarette.

"Well..." He suddenly turned serious, mockingly. "I may not be perfect, but I'm not your typical Fili-type-biker-guy either." He grinned. "It's a stereotype well deserved, I guess, but a lot of us guys don't live like they show it in trash-movies."

She leaned in closer and whispered wide-eyed, with a flicker of mischief in her eyes. "But you are dealing drugs? And weapons?"

"No. Prostitution is more my way." He accepted the joke, making her laugh out loud.

"You prostitute yourself or you're a pimp kinda guy?"

That made him grin widely. "What do you think?" And he winked at her.

"Oh, god. You're not charging me now by the hour?" She mocked, feigning shock.

They both laughed. He was having such a good time just joking with her. Honestly, it was unbelievable they'd met just a while ago. He felt as if they'd been good friends for years. Unbeknown to him, Tauriel felt more comfortable around him than around any other guy she'd ever met. Which was a weird fact itself! She would never, never in a thousand years flirt so openly with a guy. Not after... Not after everything that had happened.

She was scared. Afraid. But he... It took him mere minutes to shatter the carefully erected walls of stone she built around her heart and to shake her out of the stupor. What was happening to her? She met his smiling eyes, because yes, when he smiled, even his eyes twinkled, and a strange sense of fluttering filled her insides.

She could only take it as a confirmation of her previous thoughts. She was obviously as crazy as they come.

They discussed archery a bit. Kili was very fond of his own bow. He was nowhere near the Olympian's level, but decent enough. His mother gave him his late-uncle Frerin's bow on his eighteenth birthday and he treasured it more than all of his possessions. Tauriel was practically groomed to hold a bow ever since she was a child, and quite successful so far.

Both of them quietly mused for themselves how much of a great time they were having. There was just something pulling them towards one another. A sort of a deeper connection they were barely aware of, but couldn't quite grasp it.

An hour passed by, and then another. It was already lunch-time when they decided to part ways. Kili had to return and beat some sense into his brother and cousins. And probably Legolas. He'd just yell at him though, wouldn't quite risk an arrow through the skull. Though the baked idiot would probably aim for his knees, to prolong the agony...

Tauriel decided to go straight home, to her dorm-room. She wasn't living with Legolas in his apartment for the said non-stop partying, and she confessed she really enjoyed solitude. She left a message on her brother's mobile to visit her later. After a decent amount of coffee. And a shower. And a lengthy process of detoxification.

When they stepped outside, Kili got a little nervous. Seriously, he has never had a problem with asking for a girl's number his entire life. They were practically throwing themselves at him! But with Tauriel... It was different. He already felt as if he had known her for years instead of mere hours and he knew one thing-he would NOT blow this up.

He suddenly felt a strong urge to touch her, to trace her beautifully carved cheekbone with the back of his palm... His heart was beating like he had spent the morning running the whole length from Erebor to the Dale College instead of driving.

She was the one who spoke up first. "Thank you for the coffee. I've had a really good time."

Once again, he was mesmerized by her beautiful smile. The way her cheeks slightly flushed every now and then made his own blood warmer in his veins. He was aware of every damn freckle that covered her pale skin.

"Yeah. I've had a great time too. I hope this is not the last time I see you."

There was the blush again_. Dammit, woman_.

"I'd like to see you again too, Kili..."

So, he got her number. Walking towards their house, he could still feel his heart beating in his ears.

_I'm a fucking idiot._

And an idiot he was. The first thing he did when he reached their living-room was to pull on his brother's messy hair and drop him off the sofa.

"Son of a bitch!" The older brother groaned from the floor.

"Easy there, Fee... The said bitch is your Ma too."

"I'm gonna kill ya... I swear, one day..." The mumbling continued.

Laughing loudly, he reached Ori's room.

"Hey, Or!" He knocked on the door. "Do get up and help me deal with these fuckers!"

Sure, in a minute, Ori was at the door, looking too well rested to be a full-on participant of the last night's orgy. "Kili, what's up?"

"Can't believe you could actually sleep with all that noise going on!"

"I've had my training." The younger one laughed.

"I'll wake up the pot-head. You deal with Gimli. Not going anywhere near his room in years..."

Ori made a sort of a disgusted face, figures he already knew what awaited him in his cousin's bedroom.

In the meantime, Kili reached the guest-room (which was mostly occupied by the said pot-head anyway, might as well call it Legolas' room) and threw a pillow at the crowned prince's head.

"Leggy-boy! Get the fuck up!"

A loud groan followed as the tall figure rolled all the way onto the floor, not quite being able to release himself from the blanket. Kili brought a hand to his forehead as he watched him trying to wiggle his way out of it.

"Oh, do help me, you short son of a bitch!"

"Only if you swear you're wearing something under your royal cape, Leggy-boy."

"I am. Stop calling me that, dwarf."

"Your wish is my command, my prince." He said as he grabbed the side of the blanket and rolled Legolas out like he was a corpse. Well, probably shouldn't brag about a fact that he knew very well how to roll a corpse out of the blanket.

"Ouch..." The tall figure wearing nothing but his underwear and ankle-boots groaned from the floor.

"Get dressed and get the fuck out." Kili laughed loudly.

Two girls were just at the end of the hall when he got out, meaning Ori successfully woke Gimli. His brother's room, though, was still occupied. What the hell, might as well wake the poor girl and rid her of the humiliation of seeing his brother again.

He was very shocked when he knocked on the door and Sigrid Girion answered.

"Sig?" He was shocked and stared at her wide-eyed. She was one of his best-friends. They basically grew up together. They were together in all the art-classes. And she had the crush on his brother for the longest of times.

_That ugly son of a bitch... _

She noticed the angry flare in his eyes and pulled him into the room. She closed the door behind.

"Kili, calm down."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Sig?" He was too angry to think of her hurt feelings. His stupid brother fucked his best friend and would cast her away like yesterday's pants! He couldn't believe his nerve. Or hers! Like she didn't know better.

"No. Really, calm down. It's not what it looks like."

Calm down he did not. "Not what it looks like?"

"Keep it down, you idiot. No, it's not what it looks like. I didn't sleep with him!" She whispered through her teeth, furious with his behaviour.

"Then what the fuck are you doing here?" He sat on his brother's bed, trying not to think of all the shit his brother usually did on the said mattress.

"Listen, we'll talk later. Meet me for coffee when you get the house in order, k? I've gotta run, Bain's coming in half an hour, he's bringing Tilda in for lunch."

He was still glaring at her. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Stop being angry and no word of this to anyone." She was already at the door when she closed it again and faced him. "And don't kill him."

When he didn't answer, she gave him one of her famous glares that usually froze his blood. Really, how could one even expect that such a sweet, small, blond girl was capable of staring actual daggers.

"I promise." He whined.

"Sure thing. See ya!"

"I'm not gonna kill him, I'll kill both of you." He murmured to himself when she was gone.

After a minute, he returned to the living-room, where a very dishevelled Fili was brewing a fresh batch of coffee, a cigarette already lit.

He wordlessly walked towards him and leaned on the counter, facing him in silence.

After what seemed like three hours, but was just a couple of minutes, Fili met his burning gaze and murmured.

"It's not what it looks like."

"What exactly's not what it looks like?" Kili asked innocently.

"You know what. Sig." His voice was barely above whisper.

"Wow, that's actually the same thing she said."

"Because it's really not what it looks like, Kili." His eyes were almost pleading, which made Kili actually interested in his brother's explanation.

"I'm listening..."

"Not now. Later. We have to speak in private."

Kili laughed. "Oh, no. No, no, no, no. You're not getting out with that! You're gonna tell me right now..."

At that moment, Legolas strode into the living-room, looking as if nothing had happened the previous night. His long, blond hair (the wig, as Kili called it) was freshly combed and was falling over his back perfectly. His clothes didn't even have a wrinkle and he looked like he'd slept for days. How the guy managed, he did not know.

Anyway, as soon as he saw him, Fili sent a wordless plea to his brother and Kili dropped the subject.

_What the hell, I don't know if I want to hear it anyway._

Legolas poured himself a large cup of coffee so he focused on him instead.

"So, Legolas... How come you've never told me you had a sister?"

Legolas actually froze. He slowly shifted his eyes onto Kili, like in a movie or something.

"A sister?" Fili was equally astonished. "What the fuck, mate? I had no idea!"

"When did you meet her?" He whispered.

"Just now. This morning, actually. She came here looking for you, said you promised her you'd come over early in the morning."

Legolas was watching him silently with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Anyway, you were dead to the world and I couldn't quite let her see you all wrapped up in a blanky and crowned like jesus fucking christ, so we spent some time together and talked over a coffee."

Kili was starting to feel somewhat nervous under the steely stare of those icy light-blue eyes. So naturally, he started babbling.

"She's a really nice girl. I don't see why you've been hiding her anyway."

Finally, Legolas reacted. He slowly put down his cup onto the counter and faced Kili in all of his height.

"You stay away from her, Kili Durin. You stay away from her. She is not a toy to play with."

His words were ice, barely above whisper, but every drop of blood in Kili's body froze.

_What the actual fuck?_

* * *

_AN: So, here's another chapter! I can't believe how much I enjoyed writing this! It's something I'd never thought I would write, but it's such a refreshment for my mind (and my bleeding heart tbh, I've been writing the next chapter of We Will Walk In Starlight). I feel as if I'm giving them another chance. In another life. Yet not so different than one might originally think._

_And I KNOW I'll eventually have to correct my grammar, but the painkillers are making me all drowsy and literally stupid! (back injury)_

_I do hope you like this story, even a bit. Please, review! Your thoughts mean a world to me! Like it? Hate it? Intentionally blinding yourself so you'd never have to read sth like this? Just share your thoughts! :D_

_Cheers!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_What the actual fuck?_

Those words haven't left his mind for hours, since the moment Legolas Greenleaf, a guy he had known for years, threatened him, no, ordered him to stay away from his sister. A sister none of them knew he had.

_What the actual fuck?_

Fili was one of his best friends, yet he too was shocked beyond measure. But there was something more, he was hurt. Though his brother would never admit that of course. But Kili knew that because he too was hurt.

There were several reasons why a friend of yours would not want you to come in contact with his family. And every one of them was worse than the other.

The moment those words left his mouth, Legolas shut his eyes closed. Kili could see, he could _feel_ the intensity of some kind of an internal battle going on in his mind. But when his eyes met Kili's again, there was a hint of a grief so deep, unmasked, it froze him in his spot.

Legolas was silently staring into his eyes, and Kili felt the plea he was sending him. His brother was standing near them, arms crossed, and staring at the both of them wide-eyed.

However, the moment soon passed, and Legolas turned towards Fili looking like his old self. His eyes didn't bear the heaviness from just moments before.

"I have to run. As Kili informed us all, my sister is waiting for me. I'll be calling you later, Fee."

With a nod, he was out of the flat.

But the two brothers remained standing in their previous positions. None moved a muscle.

"What the bloody fuck was that, Kili?" Fili whispered. He actually whispered, even though there were just the two of them in the room.

Kili met his gaze and simply shrugged his shoulders.

Now, Kili was sitting on his bed, alone with his thoughts. He didn't know what to make of it all. He couldn't understand Legolas' behaviour.

But on the other hand, he knew as soon as Legolas ordered him to stay away from her, that he could not. He could not even if he wanted to.

Something was awakening deep inside of him every time he remembered her beautiful emerald eyes. He could not get them out of his head. They were like jewels, only their beauty was beyond any gift of Earth. By all the Valar, he couldn't stop thinking of her.

He reached for his pack of cigarettes and lit one up. His head rested against the headboard behind him and he observed the sight of his drawing through the smoke. In his dimly lit room, her eyes seemed to come to life on that piece of paper.

He was a well known artist, with both a pencil and actual jewels, but he couldn't capture their beauty... Adding colour would not help, for there was not such a lively colour of green in the whole of Arda that would mimic the light of her eyes. Yet he tried and he tried, he tried to satisfy his aching need for a girl he had met only hours prior.

What was happening to him? He had had more women than most of guys his age, yet neither one of them managed to capture him so completely in such a short amount of time. For Mahal's sake, he met her, they shared a pleasant few hours over a coffee and he got her number. And that was it. But by Mahal, he felt as if he had known her for years, as if he had been admiring her from the distance, unworthy of her notice, until she finally lowered her starry eyes from the heights of heaven downwards to his level.

She was... she was something else. And he was so afraid. Kili Durin, a true Son of Durin, has faced so many dangers throughout his life, many could have ended up with his own death... Yet, he had never been so afraid. She...

_I could fall in love with her..._

The realization hit him hard. He had been infatuated, he had been attracted, but he had never been in love before. All those girls had a place in his life, but not in his heart. He has been guarding his heart for his entire life, because ever since he could remember, he has been watching his mother fading away. Such a beautiful, cheerful woman as her was always carrying a hint of grief in her eyes, and there were times still when Kili would walk on her clutching his father's picture to her heart and crying.

He was afraid.

And again, he could not wait to see her again. He groaned at his own stupidity because he could literally feel the damn butterflies in his stomach. He should probably be telling that to Fili and Gimli instead of drawing in his room, they'd surely beat it out of him.

_Tauriel..._

_Who are you?_

A smart and lovely girl of an unearthly beauty, yet he had never even noticed her before. And he should be run through with a dull piece of iron from Fili's forge for that crime.

After hours of thinking, he could finally link her in his mind to Legolas as his sister. But that meant... That meant her adoptive father was none other than Thranduil Greenleaf. The owner of Mirkwood, one of the largest multinational companies in the Arda. One of the richest men alive.

They knew that very well because of their friendship with his son, yet the older members of the families weren't in any kind of a friendly relationship. Every time Mirkwood, Thranduil, Legolas or even the name of Greenleaf was mentioned, Thorin's jaw would stiffen and he'd change the subject.

They weren't enemies or anything of sorts, but Kili just knew there was a history between Thranduil and Thorin that led them to the current level of coldness. A history neither he nor his brother knew a thing about.

That meant she was rich. Very rich. Very, very rich. But money meant next to nothing to Kili. It was a simple means to an end. He had been rich for as long as he could remember, probably richer than the whole city of Dale combined, but he's never worried about money.

His brother had to, because Thorin was drilling him from young age and training him as his successor and the next owner of Erebor. But the brothers weren't spoiled, nor were they brats. Their mother has ensured that. They had to earn all they got either by chores at young age, or by actual work since high-school. Though, working in your uncle's firm, at your actual dream-job, was sort of a dream come true for both of them.

But even so, Fili and Kili shared a house with their cousins. And Tauriel chose a dorm room instead of living with Legolas in his insanely big, modern and expensive apartment. For the non-stop partying, she said, but Kili now sensed something more. Judging by her brother's words from earlier that day, he could only presume it was another sort of protection.

_What the fuck is going on?_

A pang of anger towards Legolas still spread through him from time to time, but the truth is, he was more shocked than angered with the whole situation. Surprised the most.

_Why such a secrecy? _

And to be even better, he had casually mentioned her to Ori, who happened to knew her well from their classes, and he too had no idea of who she actually was.

He sighed. Another cigarette was trapped in his motionless hand, half-burned already, without him noticing. He gave up on it, stole another glance of the eyes that were beginning to haunt him awake, and got up to leave his room.

His sketch, though it really couldn't be called only a sketch anymore, he stored in a drawer on his bedside.

* * *

When Kili Durin opened the door of his room, another person was already standing there, ready to knock. That made him chuckle, because the same thing happened that very morning, and he let his older brother in.

Fili was looking a whole lot better, after a shower and an old detox homemade medicine (Dwalin was full of advice in that field). He looked a bit around his brother's room and in between the king-sized bed, a cozy sofa and his huge desk chair, he chose the latter. Kili, on the other hand, slumped down onto the black leather sofa on the same side of the room, which was pointed away from Fili, and turned towards the large tv instead.

Fili knew his brother was paying attention to him and would listen to his every word. That was just how Kili was. A stubborn idiot. Who was angry with him for finding his precious best friend in his own bedroom. And even though they both claimed they had not slept together, or done anything of that matter, he was still angry. Fili knew how precious their friendship was to him.

That's why he stayed exactly where he was and started talking.

"Friday night, Legolas and I were out. We were at the club when we saw Sig. She was with a couple of girlfriends so we went to say hi. She asked about you, and we talked for a bit, you know how kind she always is." Nothing met his words but silence. He sighed and continued. "That's when Bolg and his bloody goblins came."

Kili's head snapped back so fast, he knew his neck would hurt for days.

"Bolg?!" He half-shouted.

Fili sighed. "Yup. Our dearest friend." Bolg was none other than the very nephew of Azog. As ugly and as cruel as their entire bloodline and their spawns. "My instinct told me to approach him with a good old knife in between the ribs, but the two of us were alone. Legolas and I couldn't take down a dozen of them barely armed. I carried only a dagger and Legolas not a thing!"

He paused and carefully met Kili's eyes. He knew his next words would piss his brother off beyond measure. But he had to tell him anyway. Maybe it wasn't his place, but he was his brother. And it was Sigrid in question, after all. And Fili would let nothing happen to her... Ever.

"But what actually stopped me was Sigrid. Bloody hell, Kee, she was so pale, as if she saw a ghost. She just grabbed me and asked me to take her the hell out of there as soon as possible. Legolas and I took her and we were in his car in no time. Thank Mahal I wasn't wearing the jacket or any kind of a sigil."

Kili's face was pale. He was wordlessly looking at his brother's worried expression.

"The thing is, Kili... He's been threatening her. For weeks..."

Kili leapt onto his feet. Anger burned its way throughout his mind and body. He started angrily pacing the room, barely containing himself from punching a hole in his own wall.

"She didn't want to tell you because she knew you'd confront the jerk and kill him, but she was worried you'd get hurt. She loves you as a brother, Kee..."

The next second, Kili was towering over him, his face merely inches from his own.

"I don't need you to tell me that, you fucking moron. I need you to tell me why the fuck didn't you call me the exact same fucking second?"

Oh, he was even angrier than Fili had imagined. Suddenly he felt a need to place a fair distance between his throat and his brother's hands.

"Because I knew you'd come."

Kili was fuming like a dragon before throwing up fire.

"And why wasn't I allowed to come?" His voice was barely above whisper, but it shivered with anger.

Fili stood up and place a hand on his taller brother's shoulder. "Because I took care of her on my own. I assure you, I brought her here, let her stay in my room. I was sleeping on the couch because I remember you threatened my life if I ever stayed in your bed again. She was safe."

Kili still had a strong desire to punch a hole in the wall, preferably with Fili's head, but his breath evened and his heart slowed down a bit. He nodded shortly and sat back on the sofa. Fili joined him this time.

They were sitting there in silence for some time before Kili spoke.

"I hope you'd at least changed your sheets for her."

The older brother chuckled. "Of course, I'm not an animal."

The look in Kili's eyes could be perfectly translated into "are-you-fucking-kidding-me".

Kili sighed and brought his hands over his face. "So... Tell me. What was going on in here."

"Well, not much. Ori and Gimli were out most of Saturday, I stayed here with Sig. She was so worried about being a burden, but I reassured her it was ok. We had lunch together here, talked a bit, watched some telly... Then Ori and Gimli came, and Legolas later on with a bunch of people. I told Sigrid she could use my room again, of course. That's why you found me in the living room and woke me up in the most beautiful way ever, brother mine."

Kili was watching him in amusement and something else. His brother? Feeling so protective over Sigrid? Okay, that was to be expected, but spending an entire day with her on his own accord? Lunch? Movie? Talking?

Fili narrowed his brows. "What?"

Kili chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing. Just nothing." He stood up and gazed through his window. The University of Dale was outside the city, on the outskirts actually. It was a peaceful neighbourhood and their grand house was further off the main road, surrounded by trees. Kili's room was on the back side, looking towards the surrounding hills and the Lonely mountain on their right.

He was standing there, lost in thoughts for a moment, before his brother's voice brought him back.

"So... tell me... what was that whole deal with Legg's sister?"

Kili did not turn around. He weighed his words. He didn't want to sound like a fool, of course, but... He suddenly didn't want to talk to his brother about it. And that was a first. Fili and himself had no secrets. Not a single one. Yet Kili couldn't bring himself to start talking about it. He didn't know why.

Fili would not stand besides Legolas on this, of course he wouldn't, but still... Kili wanted to keep it a secret. He wanted her for himself. _Wanted her for himself? _Did he want her for himself? What the fuck was the matter with him?

Before his thoughts could go onto even crazier roads, he started speaking.

"Not much. I came back earlier in the morning, you were all as good as dead. I went out, met her at the door and we grabbed a cup of coffee. She's really nice." _Actually, amazing. And smart. And beautiful._..

"So... will you be seeing her again?" Fili asked slowly. And when Kili turned around and opened his mouth, not aware what his own answer would have been, his older brother silenced him with a raised hand.

"Look. I don't think it's a wise thing to do. Legolas is obviously very protective over her and probably has a good reason for it. I mean, I had no idea she existed until today!" He sighed.

Kili nodded and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, unaware of his brother's probing gaze that reached deeper into his mind than he thought.

Fili got up and walked towards the door, but Kili heard him murmuring. "Just be careful..."

When he was already at the door, Fili turned around once more. "Oh, yes. It's your turn making dinner. Just have in mind you're cooking for five people now."

"Leggy-boy's coming over?"

His brother gave him an evil little smile. "Then I'd be telling you to start making dinner for six."

Kili was confused. "What, Sig then?"

There was a twinkle in his older brother's eyes. "Haven't I told you? She's living with us now."

* * *

_AN: Here it is, another chapter! Please please please leave a review and tell me what you think! It would mean a lot. The update on "We Will Live in Starlight" will come soon enough. _

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing! Cheers!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Orange and brown leaves were dancing on the wind, the whisper of their silent song echoing in the twilight. Darkness would soon come and envelope their lively colours, putting them to sleep until the new sun rises.

Kili was in his room, silently watching the fading red light on the horizon through branches of trees. Far far away was the West where the sun sets, where the grey seas lie and the ending of the world is near.

Only light, save from that of the sun, came from his lit cigarette. He inhaled the burning smoke deeply and knew he would regret one day his enjoying of a good leaf. But the real question was, could a true Son of Durin even dream of dying of lung cancer further along the way, in old age and surrounded by family? Half of his family met their end on the edge of a blade or the pierce of a bullet.

Would he dare to hope he would live so long that the actual carcinogenic shit from cigarette-smoke would kill him?

When the inhaled smoke started burning his lungs with increased ferocity, he coughed and remembered to breathe.

His breathing patterns wouldn't even be questionable if he wasn't thinking of such stupidities.

But again, he had more on his mind than he wanted. He had more on his mind than he could handle at the moment.

Sigrid was being threatened. By that orcish scum Bolg.

Whispers reached him about some increased activity in the North.

Legolas shared with Fili his father's information about recent activity in Southern Mirkwood.

And in the middle of all of that, Thorin suspected Mordor was waking up again.

_Son of a bitch._ All fronts were waking up. Well, not exactly all. Those evil folk they've been dealing with for as long as anyone could remember were all linked somehow to Mordor. Smaug, Azog, Bolg, all of their alive and dead spawns were only small figurines led by a greater master.

He rolled his head on his shoulders, stretching the muscles of his neck. This shit was getting serious.

He turned on his heel and headed towards the living-room. Sig was curled up in a chair in the corner, a large pile of papers stacked on the table in front of her.

_Shit_, medieval art history, they had a test in a couple of days. Mind those people who thought taking art classes meant only senseless drabbling.

Fili was on the sofa, a picture of peace and serenity, a beer in his hand and a cigarette in the other. His bare feet were crossed on the small table in front of the sofa. The game was on, so naturally, Gimli was sitting next to him, angry as hell because the team he had a bet on was obviously losing. And Ori, poor Ori was nowhere to be seen.

He approached Sigrid and took a place on a chair next to hers. She lifted her eyes and smiled when she met his gaze. He brought a hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer, bumping his forehead against her curls. She was out of her depth, he felt it, but she was too grateful to say a word against anything concerning their new living arrangement.

"You should've told me, Sig." He whispered softly in her hair. The said matter was not mentioned between them at all, not since Fili told him what had really happened. During dinner they didn't speak of it and Kili simply didn't want to press. She sighed sadly and leaned in closer.

"You would've come and get your sorry arse killed." She murmured.

"Damn right I would." Kili laughed.

A fist punched his ribs not so lightly and he winced.

"Idiot." The lady murmured, but with a hint of humour.

He ruffled her hair and she slapped the back of his head.

"Here's the Sigrid we all know and love." Kili laughed. Sigrid blushed and smiled, and blushed even more when her eyes met Fili's, who turned his head and winked at her.

_You're both idiots_, Kili thought. He could see where all that was slowly leading. He could read his brother's mind like a book. Only he hoped his best friend, actually more of a sister than a best friend, would not get hurt. But he decided not to interfere for now. Nothing was happening, after all. Of course, he surely would kick Fili's arse in advance, just in case.

Ori choose that moment to join them, carrying a tray with beer bottles for everyone.

"Ori, my love, my sunshine!" Gimli cried and bumped his forehead against Ori's when he got his beer.

After a while, when everyone got their share of fermented goods, Ori joined the two of them at the table. He started talking with Sigrid and blushing beet red in the process. Kili smiled widely. One just had to love Ori. He was like a precious little brother to all of them.

He looked around and saw his happy little family. In that hour, all was well. Never mind the darkness threatening to overrun them. When they were together, all was well.

* * *

The pale morning sky was free of clouds, but the wind raged mercilessly. Kili and Sigrid arrived a bit early and the uni was still mostly empty. Everyone rushed to get off the windy yard. He parked his Harley in the usual place and took off his helmet. Both himself and Sigrid were wearing heavy leather jackets with the unmistakable MC sigil at the back. Fili almost tripped over his feet to offer Sig his jacket as fast as he could. Kili almost bit through his tongue while trying not to laugh out loud.

Now they were in the yard, Sigrid still a bit blushed (damn that girl and her crush). Following the others' example, they decided to get inside as fast as they could.

The hallway was considerably warmer than the ninth circle of hell outside. Kili screamed internally for being so damn happy only the day before about autumn weather. He should've remembered he lived in godforsaken Dale. Not that Erebor was any better.

At this time of year, every place surrounding the Lonely Mountain was at its mercy. Meteorologists from all over Middle-Earth agreed- the weather around the Lonely Mountain had a will of its own. On days like these, he would gladly move to those damn trees on the south. He nearly stopped in his tracks. South. Trees. Mirkwood. Legolas. _Tauriel._

Damn.

A weird warmth spread through him as soon as her name entered his mind. Probably because the name itself was shortly followed by a face. And those eyes, eyes greener than any emerald he had ever seen.

Damn.

_Kid. Snap out of it. You're screwed._

And screwed he was. There she was, in front of him. All of the sudden. He stopped dead in his tracks and Sigrid bumped into him. Her hand was tangled around his bicep, they usually walked that way around. But now, Kili wanted nothing more than to show Sig ten feet away.

Tauriel met his eyes and immediately saw Sigrid standing there, who was obviously irritated because she couldn't see why Kili stopped so suddenly as if he ran into a brick wall. Then she followed his gaze and found the reason _why_ and bit her lip. _Kili Durin, damn you_. She thought, fighting really hard to suppress the growing smile.

Kili stood still for a second longer before he broke into a grin.

"Tauriel." He said warmly, his voice only slightly giving away his surprise. "Hi."

She smiled for a second, then looked briefly to the floor. Her eyes met his again and she greeted him back while the slightest blush warmed her cheeks.

Kili's grin grew even wider and Sigrid was seriously worried about the state his facial muscles. She slapped lightly his shoulder twice and left towards the classroom. Kili realized she was deliberately giving them space, and was once again eternally grateful for her existence and their everlasting friendship.

He came closer to Tauriel and her blush intensified.

_Dammit, woman. _That rosy colour on her prominent cheekbones was definitely driving him crazy.

"It turns out it's not that hard to run into you after all." He said softly.

Tauriel chuckled. "Yes, of all the times you could have..."

"I saw you for the first time standing at my door. Curious, indeed."

Tauriel smiled. "Who knows how many times you've seen me and haven't noticed."

His eyes widened and the words left his mouth before he could think them over. "I could never forget a beauty like you, believe me..."

Tauriel had to break their eye-contact and look down. She was certain her cheeks were as red as the colour red goes because her whole face was warm. She met his gaze again and felt something akin to those damn butterflies in her stomach. He really was remarkably handsome. Even in his heavy leather biker jacket and his hair pulled in a bun, a few wild curly strands framing his face. Even snuggled close to another girl... Who was she? What was she to him? Who...

But the way he was looking at her and that damn smile of his scared away any thoughts of the beautiful blonde at his side. He was so...

And again, she felt like an idiot because she shouldn't feel like that. She simply shouldn't. Not after... not after all that had happened. Or... or should she? Could she?

Could she still lead a normal life? Could she still look at a hot guy and want something with him, something more?

Damn, those weren't the right questions to ask oneself in the middle of the hallway when the said hot guy was standing right in front of you, clearly realizing something was off.

She quickly smiled a small smile and apologized.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I have to hurry. My class is on the whole different side and I'll be late if..." Great, now she couldn't even look him in the eyes for so long.

He smiled nevertheless, her "weird" behaviour obviously not bothering him, not in the slightest.

"Yes, of course." He shifted his weight. "Look, I was wondering..."

Before the words could even leave his mouth, angry face with damn blond hair wandered into his mind. Legolas. He'd kill him. Surely.

He specifically forbade him from seeing her.

But what the hell, she had not left his mind from the moment he first saw her. There was an undeniable connection between them, something he didn't, couldn't understand, and something he quite willingly didn't want to understand.

Arda was full of magic, the land crafted by the gods so long ago still bore signs of its magical and mythical history. And he was a Son of Durin. One of the oldest families in Middle-Earth, one said to be a descendant of the dwarves of the First Ages, thousands and thousands of years ago.

Why was he telling that to himself? Because they had an old family saying.

_We are stone._

As their dwarven ancestors who died out more than a few thousand years ago, they too were descended from stone itself. The legends and myths told of the creation of the first Seven Fathers of dwarves, one of them being Durin whose name they still bore.

Despite not being dwarves, but humans, they were still of a shorter stature. And they still had their Mountain, their gems and gold. Their blood still ran as hot as a dwarven forge.

_We are stone._

Why did it matter? Because his blood boiled. His heart ached. And when a true Son of Durin wants something with all his heart, there was no rule, no barrier to stop him.

And even more, he could take that bloody elf twig in a fight, sure he could.

"Would you like to grab a drink sometime later?"

Only seconds passed to Tauriel, but for him... it seemed like reliving half the fucking history of Arda at once.

She finally smiled. "Yes." She barely breathed out the word.

Those butterflies in her stomach made her want to run like an idiot three times around the uni, but she was frozen still. Could it really be happening? He? Kili Durin was asking her to... grab a drink? His grin nearly melted her insides.

He, on the other hand, felt just the same. And while he was ordering himself to digest those fucking butterflies before puking them out, he asked if she wanted to meet him at the same place, lunchtime.

"Of course. Lunchtime..." She smiled. At that point, she was seriously worried she'd be the first person to truly spontaneously self-combust. Well, at least the uni'd get some credit, what the hell.

He nodded and said bye, and then he walked in the opposite direction without initiating any kind of a physical contact. She almost started bleeding internally when she realized she was actually disappointed.

_What the fuck?_

She wanted him to... To what? Touch her hand? Kiss her on the cheek? What?

Her face was that of literal horror when she realized that she actually wanted him to grab her and kiss her senseless.

There was a hot pang in her chest that turned into a growing hole, and suddenly she had trouble catching her breath. She struggled for a few seconds, leaning on the wall in the process.

When she finally recovered from the first and thankfully mild panic attach she had in years, she was forever grateful that the hallway was truly nearly empty.

And then she reminded herself to better catch her breath and run towards the damn classroom, or she'd be late.

* * *

_**AN: **My dear readers and followers, here it is! A new chapter after such lenghty absence! I'm sorry for not uploading sooner, but I had a lot of work to do!_

_Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I'd be forever grateful if you left a review!_

_Thank you!_

_Cheers!_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The icy wind was mercilessly punishing each and every person for all the sins of mankind.

Kili's bones were beyond frozen. Icy droplets stung his eyes every time he held them opened. But one could not walk around with one's eyes closed. When he finally reached the cafe, he was cursing Mahal and all the Valar for not stopping him from riding his Harley. Seriously. He even had Sig with him that morning. Wouldn't a car be a more reasonable idea?

But no... The MC was in his blood and he would not willingly change his ride for a cage. Not ever.

He only thanked Mahal for being a member, because his heavy leather MC jacket was the only thing protecting his body from what it seemed like an absolute zero outside.

Of all the endless ages of the history of Arda, he was having a date with _her_ on this godforsaken sorry excuse for a _day, _when even Iluvatar turned a blind eye and apparently let all of his children die of frostbite.

Well, huh, he should probably be calling out Mahal again. He was a descendant of dwarves, after all.

Tauriel was late. Her class was supposed to end before his, yet there he was, waiting. Alone in the corner, frozen to death.

Did she change her mind? But, why would she change her mind? Not one girl ever has changed her mind about him... He mentally slapped himself for being so fucking cocky. _You're not Fili, you idiot._

The old family saying rang again in his mind, but this time he realized he had actually never felt more like a damn stone than in that moment, literally frozen. Damn autumn, Dale and the fricking Lonely Mountain.

He hated everything.

Bus his sour mood evaporated as soon as the door opened and a slim figure tightly wrapped in a jacked entered the dimly lit cafe. Her red hair was escaping the rich green scarf she pulled around her head to protect her from the wind. But the scarf obviously failed its duty for her red waves were hanging loosely around her face, wet and tangled. The skin on her cheeks was red from cold and her eyes teary from squinting.

Her eyes quickly found him and as she was approaching his table, he realized she was shaking.

"Tauriel?" He asked unsurely as he was raising up from the table.

Her quick smile reassured him. "I'm so sorry for being late. But... Umm, the weather slowed me down a bit..."

He smiled. "You are cold, I can see that. Come here, sit down, I'll order you a hot chocolate to warm you up..."

She smiled gratefully what made him literally jump from the table and summon the waiter as if he was wielding the whip of a Balrog itself.

He decided to wait at the bar and hurry up the damn waiter. As he glanced back and saw her dishevelled figure, he couldn't help but ask himself why was he so damn nervous... He had been on countless dates before. Why was this different? Bloody hell, this wasn't even a proper date, what was he even talking about... He asked her to grab a drink after class and she agreed... This was not even a date!

But why was he as nervous as if he was a completely inexperienced fifteen-year-old kid? What was she doing to him? What the fuck?

Her eyes met his gaze and his heart skipped a beat. It skipped some more when she smiled, her cheeks reddening in the process.

Oh, by Mahal's balls, what the actual fuck was happening to him? Love at first sight?

_Shut the fuck up, you stupid git._

_Digest those damn butterflies and act like a man. _

So he swallowed hard and returned to their table carrying a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

"Thank you so much..." Her fingers enveloped the hot cup immediately, prying on its warmth. He wished he could wrap his fingers around hers and lock her in place.

She was still shivering, but just a slight less.

"So..." He started awkwardly. _What the fuck? _When did he decide to speak? What did he decide to say? Was his mouth operating separately from his brain now? What?

"Khm... So... How was your class?" _Stupid dumb fuck, what the hell, idiot..._

"Oh, it was... It was alright, I guess." By some miracle, she accepted his shaky intro and they actually started a conversation. It appeared everything with her and about her was _different_. Special.

He didn't have to be his usual charming self to keep her entertained. He didn't have to think on what to say and when to say it. It just came to him, naturally. Without him knowing, Tauriel was silently musing over the same thing herself. After everything that had happened to her throughout her short but rough life, she had never met anyone who could make feel so... so _relaxed_. So _comfortable_. And it seemed he was doing it without trying. Without even _noticing_ it.

Well, why would he need to notice that she was acting normally for a change? He did not know her and he knew nothing of her past. He couldn't possibly know how hard it was for her to even consider letting someone become this close to her...

But she wouldn't think about that now. She was seriously enjoying herself.

They talked a lot. About anything and everything. Their classes, the uni in general, their friends...

"You know..." He suddenly sobered. "Your brother is strangely protective over you."

She inhaled sharply and lowered her gaze. Almost a whole minute passed before she spoke up.

"Legolas... is protective. I... I guess you could say that..." She still didn't meet his eyes.

"Well, yes, I guess. You know that he literally banned me from seeing you again?" He said it with a smile, but realized he was making a mistake as soon as the words left his mouth.

She paled visibly and her doe-like eyes finally met his. She was scared.

"Tauriel?" His words were barely above whisper.

"What... what did he say?" Her voice broke. He wouldn't. He... he couldn't...

If Kili was shocked by her reaction, he was obviously showing it. "What do you mean? He just told me to stay away from you. That, let me quote, you're not a toy to play with..."

And again was he shocked because her demeanour changed immediately. Colour returned to her cheeks and she laughed soundly. Of course she could trust Legolas, what was she thinking? He would never betray her like that.

"T-Tauriel?" His voice was ringing with utter confusion.

Her eyes met his and her lips stretched in a smile. "Ahh, it's just a big-brother syndrome. Don't you mind him. Unless... Unless you want to... Ummm not to see me again?" Relief was immediately letting place to her life-long friend – insecurity.

For the first time since their conversation took that weird turn, he smiled. "Hah, yes, I thought it would be all clear considering I was the one that asked you out on a date."

_Whaaaaaaaat the fuuuuuuck, Kili?_

In the matter of minutes he managed to royally fuck things up _twice_. A date? What? What? What the fuck was happening to his fucking brain?

She was also taken back. First slightly confused and a bit shocked, but then she couldn't help a smile from stretching her lips and her cheeks reddened a bit more. He thought his heart would burst from the inhumane tempo it settled for.

"Yes, I guess I should have realized that." She said and bit her lower lip.

He grinned. His old, well known self was lurking blow the surface, cockying its way out.

"So... Now that we've established that this is in fact a date..." He leaned a bit closer. "I guess it wouldn't be too much of me to ask when am I going see you again?"

He was close. Closer. Than before. She could feel the warmth emitting from his body on her skin. It was... not uncomfortable. Still, she felt a need to place a few more centimetres between their bodies.

This was all speeding up to a pace she was not so comfortable with, but she still managed to smile. _Don't screw this up, not now, please_... As she was slowly lowering her face away from his burning gaze to compose herself a bit, she felt his fingers on her chin.

Before she could help it, before she even realized what the hell was going on, he was raising her head back up, and even though he was gentle, she froze. Literally. Froze.

Her eyes slowly rose to meet his, but it was too late because he was close. Too close.

She didn't even manage to blink and bring herself back and his stubble was already scratching her skin, his lips burning on her when he kissed her cheek.

His finger was still lightly touching her chin and...

It... it was...

No.

She snapped out of it and... and...

The next thing she saw was the familiar door of her room. Her hands were shaking, she was shaking so violently... she barely managed to open the door before collapsing on the floor.

What the hell happened? He... he was so nice and gentle... and it turned out that he really asked her out on a date. She was so happy...

And then he just had to do it. He had to _touch_ her. _Kiss_ her.

She realized she was running towards her room so fast, she didn't even realize it was raining. The obviously heavy downpour drowned her clothes. She could feel the uncomfortable wetness all over her body. She couldn't even remember running back...

She was shivering. She was cold. But she couldn't move.

He touched her. He kissed her. By the Valar, he actually liked her. Her. Simple, plain her. Tauriel.

And she... she managed to screw it all up...

It was over. It was over before it even started.

And why? Because she couldn't let it go. She had been living with it for way more than half of her miserable life and she still couldn't let it go.

Her head met the cold floor. But she didn't feel the coldness. She wrapped her arms around her knees as first of many tears stained her cheeks...

* * *

AN: Hey! I'm sorry for not uploading sooner! I hope someone is still actually reading this! :O

I really liked this story from the beginning and I just didn't want to mess it up with bad writing. I just couldn't write for a long time, I don't know if you'll understand me... No proper inspiration even though I knew where the story was heading.

I really hope you like this chapter. Things with Kili and Tauriel moved a bir fast-forward, at least according to Tauriel, but something's obviously blocking her.

I hope you'll share your opinion on the chapter! Thank you for reading and for the lovely reviews!

Cheers!


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